Tag Archives: World War 2
Nazi Symbols In Thailand Posted by Constanze on Mar 20, 2019
Guten Tag! You may know that in Germany it is illegal to publicly display a Nazi symbol, be it on clothing or otherwise. Doing so can land you three years in jail (it is not illegal, however, if it is for the purposes of art). It is also illegal to do the Nazi salute, say…
November 9 in German History Posted by Constanze on Nov 14, 2018
Guten Tag! November is a big month in German history, as many significant historical events happened on or around November 9th. In fact, so many things have happened throughout history on November 9th in Germany that this date is now known as der Schicksaltag – the ‘fate day’. Today I’m writing about two events from…
German Vergangenheitsbewältigung Posted by Constanze on Jun 14, 2016
Guten Tag! Today I’m bringing you another untranslatable word, but it’s a bit more of a ‘serious’ one this time, rather than the light-hearted ones we’re used to! The word of today is die Vergangenheitsbewältigung. This is a very famous German word so perhaps you know about it already – or perhaps you’ve seen it…
German Words Associated With Nazism Posted by Constanze on Mar 1, 2016
Guten Tag! Have you ever said a word or phrase in all innocence, only to receive shocked gasps from those around you, and be told ‘You can’t say that!’? Or be laughed at because the word you’ve used doesn’t mean what you think it does? Language is ever-changing, and words’ meanings can change over time…
Hitler Is Back In Germany Posted by Constanze on Jan 26, 2016
For decades, it has been considered taboo to talk about Hitler and the Nazis in Germany. Now, two things have happened that suggest this taboo is beginning to break. 1. MEIN KAMPF BACK ON SALE On January 8th, a new edition of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf went on sale in Germany for the first time…
Reading German History: Maus by Art Spiegelman Posted by Constanze on Oct 26, 2015
It goes without saying that reading is a fantastic way to improve your German in an enjoyable way. Today I’d like to recommend a book I read recently. It was originally written in English, but there is a German translation available. Its subject matter is World War II, the Holocaust, and Nazi Germany. Why am…
The Turkish Guest Workers of ’60s Germany Posted by Constanze on Sep 20, 2015
The Turkish make up the largest ethnic minority group in Germany. But why is that, exactly? Der Gastarbeiter (pl: Die Gastarbeiter) It all began during the Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) of the 1960s and 1970s, when Germany and Austria experienced rapid industrial growth and reconstruction of their economies following WW2. However, being severely low on labour…